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EU to boost Gaza aid amid Israel-Hamas truce | Israel-Palestine conflict News<\/p>\n
The EU chief orders the European Commission \u2018to do its utmost\u2019 to use the four-day truce to boost its aid deliveries.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The European Commission will step up aid deliveries to Gaza during the agreed four-day pause in Israel\u2019s war.<\/p>\n Welcoming the agreement, Ursula von der Leyen, chief of the EU\u2019s executive body, said the bloc will use the window to get more humanitarian into the Palestinian enclave.<\/p>\n \u201cThe European Commission will do its utmost to use this pause for a humanitarian surge to Gaza,\u201d she said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that \u201cI wholeheartedly welcome the agreement\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Tamer Qarmout, assistant professor in public policy at the Doha Institute, told Al Jazeera that the most important thing that needs to be addressed during the pause is the catastrophic humanitarian condition in Gaza.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about food and shelter. Winter is here in Gaza, people are sleeping outside, and there\u2019s nothing to cover them. So it\u2019s a disaster. Aid needs to be increased and the international community need to push Israel on this,\u201d Qarmout said.<\/p>\n Von der Leyen\u2019s comments came a day after the commission announced a review of its development aid to Palestinians \u2013 ordered after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas \u2013 found no evidence of funds going to the armed group that rules Gaza.<\/p>\n \u201cThe review found no indications of EU money having directly or indirectly benefitted the terrorist organisation Hamas,\u201d Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The EU is the biggest provider of development aid to Palestinians. It has earmarked about 1.2 billion euros ($1.3bn) for its programmes for the period between 2021 and 2024.<\/p>\n Brussels was forced, in the wake of the October 7 attacks, to deny it would cut all aid to Gaza in October, following a statement by\u00a0the Hungarian-nominated commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement.<\/p>\n Oliver Varhelyi stated on social media that \u201call payments\u201d to the Palestinians had been \u201cimmediately suspended\u201d and that \u201call new budget proposals,\u201d including for 2023, had been \u201cpostponed until further notice\u201d.<\/p>\n The scale of terror and brutality against #Israel<\/a> and its people is a turning point.\u2018No evidence\u2019<\/h2>\n
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There can be no business as usual.
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As the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review, worth a total of EUR 691m
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